Carbon transfer material with alarm means for an imprinting machine



Jan; 28, 1958 v. w. GARWOOD ET AL 2,821,284

CARBON TRANSFER MATERIAL WITH ALARM MEANS FOR AN IMPRINTING MACHINE Filed March 15, 1954 Zfw United States Patent signments, to Lamson Paragon Limited, London, England, a corporation of Great Britain Application March 15,1954, Serial No. 416,370

Claims. (Cl. 197--134) 'lhis invention relates to continuous stationary webs and to imprinting or recording machines through which the webs are fed with carbon transfer webs interleaved between record webs and more particularly to such machines having a 're'supply warning device as well as a carbon transfer web for actuating the warning device.

The present invention is especially well suited for use in the type of apparatus described and claimed in the application of V. W. Garwood filed August '2, 1952; Serial No. 302,349, now abandoned, wherein the record web or Webs are fed relative to the carbon or transfer webs. That is to say, the transfer webs may remain in place and not be fed while the record webs may be advanced several times. Thus, the transfer webs are fed at a reduced rate as compared to the rate at which the record webs are fed. "The present invention may also be utilized to advantage in other types of apparatus utilizing continuous carbon or transfer webs.

The carbon web or webs will normally remain in use in the machine for a relatively long period but it is obviou'sly essential that they be renewed when the end of their useful life is reached, and for this purpose it is highly desirable that the operator of the machine should be able to determine when this stage is reached.

it is accordingly a principal object of the present .in vention to provide means whereby a warning is given when the supply of carbon transfer material is substantiallyexhausted and needs to be renewed.

Another object is to provide such .an arrangement for signaling when the supply of carbon transfer material is substantially exhausted which afiords a substantial degree of latitude as to when steps need be taken to renew the supply of carbon transfer material.

According to the present invention a web of carbon transfer material provided with electrical conducting means adapted to control an "electrical circuit connected with the machine through which the web :is fed to produce a warning to the operator'when the supply of carbon transfer material is substantially exhausted.

The invention also includes apparatus for operating 'on continuous stationary webs interleaved with a carbon transfer 'web or web's, said apparatus including an electrically actuated warning device connected in a circuit which includes electrical contacts adapted to be bridged by electrical conducting means on at least one of the 'c-albbl-l transfer Web's.

Further objects as well as advantages or the present invention will be apparent from the tollowing description and the drawings in'whi'ch:

Figure l is a side 'elevational'view, partially diagram matic, of a portion or the fee'dway of an imprinting or recording machine constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fi ure 2 is a plan view of a portion thereof on an exaggerated scale;

I Figure '3 is a sectional view taken through the 33 of Figure 2;

2,821,284 Patented Jan. 28, 1958 Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of another form of transfer web utilizing conducn've threads; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a transfer web carrying conductive coatings.

' Referring now to the drawings and to Figure 2 in particular, a continuous web of carbon transfer material 11 is provided adjacent to one side edge with a series of conductive means or areas which in the present instance are formed by a strip of metal foil 13 threaded through slots .12 spaced longitudinally of the web adjacent to its trailer end. Metal foil 13 is passed through slots 12 by a weaving or lacing action whereby longitudinally spaced portions 13a, 13b and 130 of the strip are presented on the under face of the web leaving adjacent portions 13d on the opposite or upper face. Accordingly, the under face of the web is provided with electrically conducting areas formed by the conductive portions 13a, 13b and 13c of metal .foil which are spaced apart by adjacent portions of the web 11 which will normally be non-conducting.

As shown, the ends of the strip 13 are secured by adhesive tape 14 but the strip may be secured by any posed continuous record webs .15 (Figure 1) which are fed through a 'tabulator, typewriter or like writing or recording machine which includes a pair of metal rolls 16, .17 provided with conductive spindles '18, 19 respec tively which form part of the means for guiding the transfer web or webs through the machine. Spindles 18, 19 are rotatably mounted between frame members 20, 21 of the machine but electrically insulated .there from by means .of bushings .22 of insulating material. One of the spindles 1-8 is connected to electrical condoctor 23 forming part of electrical circuit 26 including a warning device. :In the present instance, the warning device comprises an electrical bell 24. Conductor 23 is connected to one end of the winding 10f bell .24. A condoctor 25 connects one of the spindles 19 1050116 side of a :source 27 of electromotive power, the other side :of which is connected to the remaining end of the winding of ball 24.

The Web of transfer material 11 .is adapted to be fed step by step as the stationary webs are fed and operated "on in the machine and :during normal operation, when there is an ample supply of transfer web available, the 'circuit 26 will remain :open as the portion or the wveb 11 which :is being fed over the rolls .16., [7 llS not made of electrically conducting material. As the trailer and of the web is reached, however, the first of the conductive zareas, areas 13a, of the .metal foil will 'be fed over and bridge the :two -rolls thereby :closing the circuit 26 to effect the actuation of the warning device 24 to warn the operator that the transfer web is exhausted and needs to be replaced. The warning wvill continue until the first area .13a;has moved .Dlltaflf bridging engagement when the circuit will :again .be (open :as the adjacent portion 13d of the 'strip is :positioned :on the upper surface of the web, and accordingly .the :rolls will now be engaged :by-apartt of the web itself which-is of non-conducting material, but the warning circuit will he again closed when the next portion, area d-3b,'1is :bronglrt into'bridging engagement.

It will be noted that two shorter conducting areas 21521, 1312 are provided followed by a relatively :area 13c so as to provide two relatively short warnings and a final continuous one. It is not always convenient for the operator to change the transfer web when the first warning is given, and accordingly the first and second relatively short warnings will indicate that the end of the transfer web is approaching but the operator will know that there is still a short length of web available to meet immediate needs. When, however, the final continuous warning is received it will indicate that the replacement of the web requires urgent attention.

The invention is not limited to a transfer web having three electrical conducting areas and as many as desired may be provided to give a series of relatively short, and a final continuous warning.

Instead of a strip of metal foil, a tape or ribbon may be used at least one surface of which carries electrically conducting material for bridging engagement with the rolls 16, 17. As shown in Figure 4, a thread or threads of metal wire 29 may be used.

Although the strip, tape, threads or the like are preferably interlaced through slots in the Web as described above, a series of short lengths of electrically conduct ing material may be secured as by adhesive to the under surface of the web at longitudinally spaced intervals.

Furthermore, in Figure 5, the under surface of the web 11 is shown provided at selected areas with patches of paint or adhesive containing metal powder to form electrical conducting areas 28a, 28b and 28c.

The length of the conducting areas will depend on the spacing between the rolls or other contact means which they are adapted to bridge and the length of the warning signal it is desired to produce. While it is usually convenient to arrange the conducting areas adjacent to the trailer end of the web, in some arrangements it may be desirable to locate them at other positions, or in an uncarbonized extension forming an integral part of the web or a separate strip attached thereto. It will be understood that when the conducting areas are provided in an uncarbonized portion this will not be permitted to be brought into tabulating position in a tabulator, typewriter or the like.

The transfer web will normally be in roll form and which is automatically unwound in small increments step by step as the webs are fed and imprinted in the machine and, if desired, means may be provided for feeding the web 11 by hand to enable the operator to move it a short distance so that one of the short electrical contact areas will be moved out of bridging engagement with the rolls and so avoid the concentration of the operator being disturbed by the warning signal when carrying out the normal operation of imprinting the web. The initial operation of the warning signal will, however, serve to remind the operator that the web needs to be replaced and in any event the final conducting area, such as area 130, will be of such a length that a continuous warning will be produced.

The rolls 16, 17, as shown in Figure l, are preferably so positioned that the transfer web is caused to be partially wrapped round them just before it is brought into position to be interleaved between stationery sheets and this arrangement makes it possible for any one of a series of superposed webs of a stationery pack or assembly to be provided with conducting areas for effecting the actuation of the warning device.

One suitable arrangement is illustrated in Figure 1 and comprises a unit 30 shown and described in said copending application of V. W. Garwood. Three continuous record sheets or webs 15, which'are derived from sources not shown, are separated and fed over rollers 31, 32 and 33, respectively. Two continuous webs of transfer material 11, 11a are delivered from rolls 37, 38, respectively} mounted on shafts 39, 40 rotatably supported between frame members 20, 21 (only one of which is shown in Figure 1). It should be understood, of course, that any suitable number of record sheets may be employed and that, in general, the number of transfer webs will be one less than the number of record webs. Transfer webs 11, 11a are fed over the rolls associated therewith into interleaved relationship with the record webs 15. As has been described, transfer Web 11 is fed over rolls 16, 17. Transfer web 11a may also be fed over two rolls 16a, 17a similar to rolls 16, 17, respectively. Furthermore,

. rolls 16a, 17a may be connected to circuit 26 in parallel relation with rolls 16, 17. Thus, when the conductive areas of either of the transfer webs 11 or 11a bridges form part of a continuous stationery assembly including.

superposed stationery webs having interleaved transfer webs assembled to form a stationery pack or assembly.

The terms and expressions which we have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and we have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. An imprinting machine, comprising feed means for feeding a plurality of elongated stationery webs along a predetermined path with said stationery webs including at least one carbon transfer web interleaved between rec-- ord webs and having conductive contacts spaced thereon so. as'to successively traverse said path, a pair of rolls extending transversely of said path and spaced therealong so as to be traversed in succession by any one of the conductive contacts on said carbon transfer web, said rolls each having a conductive surface, a warning device adapted to be actuated when connected. across a source of electromotive power, electric circuit means connecting one side of said warning device to one of said rolls and connecting the other side of said warning device to the other one of said rolls, and each of said contacts being at least long enough to bridge the space between said rolls while traversing said path and thereby conductively connect said rolls for actuating said warning device.

2. An imprinting machine, comprising feed means including a pair of spaced apart frame members for feeding a plurality of elongated stationery webs along a predetermined path with said stationery webs including at least one carbon transfer web interleaved between record webs and having conductive contacts spaced thereon so as to successively traverse said path, a pair of rolls insulativelysupported on said frame members andextending there between transversely of said path and spaced therealong so as to be traversed in succession by any one of the conductive contacts on said carbon transfer web, said rolls each having a conductive surface, a warning device adapted to be actuated when connected across a source of electromotive power, electric circuit means connecting one side of said warning device to one of said rolls and connecting the other side of said warning device to the other one of said rolls, and each of said contacts being at least long enough to bridge the space between said rolls while trav ersing said path and thereby conductively connect said rolls for actuating said warning device. v

3. Carbon transfer material with signal device actuator, comprising an elongated non-conductive transfer web adapted to be interleaved between record stationery webs for transferring indicia from one record web to another, and a continuous metal foil extending alternately along opposite surfaces of said transfer web and through spaced apertures in said transfer web for forming conductive 5 areas along one surface of said transfer web spaced apart by the insulative portions of said transfer web.

4. An imprinting machine, comprising feed means for feeding a plurality of elongated stationery webs along a predetermined path with said stationery Webs including at least one carbon transfer web interleaved between record webs and having at least one conductive contact thereon so as to traverse said path, a pair of rolls extending transversely of said path and spaced therealong so as to be traversed in succession by said conductive contact on said transfer web, said rolls each having a conductive surface, a warning device adapted to be actuated when connected across a source of electromotive power, electric circuit means connecting one side of said warning device to one of said rolls and connecting the other side of said warning device to the other one of said rolls, and said conductive contact being at least long enough to bridge the space between said rolls while traversing said path and thereby conductively connect said rolls for actuating said warning device.

5. An imprinting machine, comprising feed means for feeding a plurality of elongated stationery webs along a predetermined path with said stationery webs including at least one carbon transfer web interleaved between record webs and having a continuous conductive foil threaded through apertures formed therein and forming on said transfer web conductive contacts spaced thereon so as to successively traverse said path, a pair of rolls extending transversely of said path and spaced therealong so as to be traversed in succession by any one of the conductive contacts on said carbon transfer web, said rolls each having a conductive surface, a warning device adapted to be actuated when connected across a source of electrornotive power, electric circuit means connecting one side of said Warning device to one of said rolls and connecting the other side of said warning device to the other one of said rolls, and each of said contacts being at least long enough to bridge the space between said rolls while traversing said path and thereby conductively connect said rolls for actuating said warning device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 506,345 Stanley Oct. 10, 1893 2,127,812 Gabrielson Aug. 23, 1938 2,177,884 Fruchey et a1. Oct. 31, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 168,456 Germany Mar. 9, 1906 518,934 Germany Feb. 21, 1931 

